Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-02-25
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE.
TwENTY-EIGHTH sEssIoN-FIFTY-THIRD
DAY.
SENATE.

Goucher moved that Senate Bills 3D. 3l9, $40
and 81, all relating to the Yosemite valley, be
placed on the special Tile for tomorrow. 60 or
dered.
The Committee on Federal Relations reported
without recommendation Senate joint resolution
relating to the election OF Federal Senators by
the people Also, that joint resolution for the
relief OF 4. NJ. Blake, late Chaplain OF the army,
be adopted.
S. B. IS, relating to the funded il debtedness of
counties was read first time.
White moved thar the order OF bills on the ME
be adhered to to-day and tomorrow. So or
cered.
A number of Assembly messages were then
taken up read and referred That providing
for conference OF state Librarians was auopteu
by the Senate.
Caminetti introduced bill to prohibit import
alton into the State of persons afflicted with
leprosy. insanity, etc.
Abbott moved to amend Rule No. "a, iimiting
debates to ten minutes.
Mr.. Vrooman said: Mr.. President and Senator's :
recognize the fact that my legislative career IS
about to end, so far as this term is concerned,
and certainly hope that will never again be
called upon to be present in this chamber as a
Senator from any district in this state. During
the last ten years have seen and felt the evil
effects arising from the enforcement OF arbitrary
rules in deliberative bodies, limiting the legti-
mate and proper discussion of questions. This
is a free country and the people therein have a
right TO speak and publish their sentiments /
have listened to men in San francisco address
eating the hanging of some Qf our most promi-
nent citizens | have heard, sir prominent
official IL san Francisco, at a public assembage,
advocate the burning OF the property OF some OF
the most useful and honored members of this
commonwealth. Ihave felt, sir, upon such occa,
sions as though free speech had been carried
beyond its legitimate limit and, sir, when
have set about attempting to formulate BILL,
and have sought to have il enacted into stat
ute to suppress this evil, l have been met by the
proposition that. even though the things would
seek to prohibit were evil, that it " ere better a
thousand-fold that they should be allowed 10
continue than that free and unlimited speech
should be curtailtd in any degree. Now, Mr..
President and Senators, / say to you that every
Senator who shall vote for the pending reso.u-
ton will, in less than five years,
his children. l would rather a thousand fold
that we never call the roll upon another bill,
that precedent should be established in this
Senate, under the operation OF which In The fll-
ture representatives of free American citizens
will be denied the right to express their opiu-
ions upon measures pending Ill this hall, or
even to explain the votes they cast. Why, sir,
there are bills upon this HE which Will soon be
reached, if we carry out the rule we have Just
adopted, the terms and provisions of which can
not be considered or explained in speech of
twenty minutes. direct your attention again
to the fact that it were better that free speech
should be abused, if you please, at times, than
tina, it should be cut off or curtailed. Now, SEN
ators, it is within your power at any time when
a Senator abuses the privileges which are ac-
corded him, say 1t is within your power at any
time to shut off dilatory debate by vote OF this
Senate. 1t is within your power at any time to
cal the previous question upon a measure; do
you desire to go farther than that, and not ac-
cord to Senator upon this floor the same rlght
which every Socialist and every Anarchist has,
under the shadowing protection OF a free flag.
Why sir, under the protection of the laws OF
this commonwealth, a Socialist can stand out
upon the steps of this building to-day or to-mor-
,,l ahtrSinO n Senator
who may have voted upon question pending
before this body contrary to the views of
this destructive man; and when the Senator
comes here and attempts to explain his vote, he
is limited to ten minutes. Now l submit to
you. Mr.. President and Senators, that this Is
matter which merits your serious consideration
Are you going to put limit upon your utter
ances, while your enemies can go out upon the
steps of this building and harangue at will?
So far as am concerned | have no desire to
speak to any bill that may come before this
Senate, because sir, when the irrigation meas
ures come up, and when the mining measures
come up and other measures of equal import
ance come up for consideration, and find am
bound down by rule which prohibits me, sir,
from discussing those questions, a rule winch
prohibits me, sir, from giving the reasons whlch
actuate me, as u representative of my constltu-
ency in voting one way or the other, have lit
tie left but to simply say mo" when my name
is called by the Sec. etary. am aston shed that
the Senator from Contra Costa. representing a
=
page of whose history is covered with the deeds
OF men who fought and bled and died that free
men and free speech should prevail upon every
foot of American soil: am surprised, sir; in the
face of the record of his party that he should at
tempt to limit-attempt. If you please sir, TO ciit
off absolutely free speech in the discussion OF
measures which shall be brought before this
body during the next ten ten, days. | think,
l believe enough votes have been pledged to
adopt it. / think, sir, that some gentlemen
must have measures full and exhaustive dis
cussion of which they fear by those who desire
to act fairly and conscentiously in passing upon
the same. l say think they have the votes to
pass the resolutions sir realizing that after this
resolution shall have been adopted that shall
have no further occasion to address this Senate
upon any subject. | have spoken as have, sir,
for the purpose of having it said by my friends,
after shall have passed away. that the last act
of my legislative career, if you please, was the
entering of Il protest against the cutting on
ar prohibition of free speech in this the high
est department of the State government a
place of al places where speech ought TO be
free and where Senators ought 10 be allowed to
express their views fully and at length upon all
questions of importance And, sir, again enter
ing my protest sgainst this unfair, un-American
and uneivilized rule that is attempted to be
thrust upon us here by mere force OF numbers,
say to the Senator from Contra Costa that
he will have occasion to regret that he intro
duced this resolution as long as God shall allow
him TO breathe the breath of life.
White said the Republican Assembly had
limited debates to five minutes, and that body
was doing some work, while this Democratic
Senate was doing little else than talk. He
wanted to have the talking curtaled and more
work done.
Abbott said there was no politics in this mat
ter. II wss simply his desire to facilitate legis-
lation. He had himself refrained from dis
cussing important measures at length simply
because Others had consumed so much OF the
time of the Senate in long speeches. If it was
hot leoiS laf Mt all bp
plished that was one thing but 1t was his de-
sire to open the way for something to be accom-
plished during the remaining hours OF the SEES
sion.
Goucher and others spoke in favor Of Abbott's
resolution
bray wanted to know why the limit was not
proposed earlier in the session. instead of at
this time, when the most important bills are yet
to be acted upon.
Vrooman pointed to the fact that by the dis
cussion of bad resolution almost the whole
forenoon had cen wasted, whereas If the Sen
ate had gone to work Under its regular rules
something might have been accomplished If
the desire was to shut off debate, he would go
step farther aud move TO amend by making the
limit three minutes ead of ten.
The roll was called. and the amendment lost
Caminetti moved to amend by making the
limit five minutes. Carried.
The resolution as amended was then adopted.
Vrooman gave notice that on tomorrow he
would msve to amend the rule thus limiting
debate to five minutes.
Ssnate Constitutional Amendment No. 8. re-
lating to the duration of legislative sessions
was taken up. 1.-THE amendment extends the
sessions to ninety days.
Caminetti, the author of the bill, offered an
amendment leaving the number of days the
same as at present-sixty days-but prohibiting
the introduction of bills after forty days
Adopted-ayeS q. noes IA
Afternoon Session.
On reassembling after recess, the Senate took
mp Jones motion to reconsider the vote By
which the Senate on yesterday refused u third
reading to s. B. A. to establish 4 Normal School
in Northern California.
Patterson of Modoc, and Briceland of Shasta
opposed the motion.
BY vote of 20 ayes TO Is noes, the Senate re-
considered its sction Of the preceding day, and
the bill remained on file for third reading
motion to adopt Senate Constitutional
Amendment No. 3, as amended at the morning
session, was lost by vote of II ayes to Il noes.
The following bil's were passed: $. B. 554
sppropriatiug $3.50 % for deficiency in the
Fish Commissions appropriation for the thirty
seventh fiscal year. A. Il $50. appropriating
$1,000 for Improvements at the Veterans Home.
A. B. 112. for the support of the inmates of the
erection of a fireproof building for the
storage and protection of State sehOol-books
S. b. 3i5. relating TO Trademarks and the use
and adoption OF the same; A. b. 60 eating to
the powers and duties of municipal corpora
tons; S. B. 1Ss, to regulate plumbing, drainage,
etc.
S. B. 4os, to provide for the payment of the
rent tor the Hastings Law College; aud S. B.
80 authorizing the levy of taxes for the COM
pietion of public buildings in municipalities
were read the second time.
s. B. 1884, providing additional jute machinery,
additional buildings for jute manufacture and
other expenses Iappropriates sl60e09I aud also
: T. 4 L relating To the taxation of prODprty